UTILITY BUILDINGS IN "ASK
GEOFFREY" THAT IS COMING UP.
FIRST WE CHECK BACK IN WITH
AMANDA VINICKY WHO SPENT THE DAY
IT WRIGLEYVILLE AS PART OF OUR
"CHICAGO TONIGHT" IN YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD SERIES.
WHAT DO YOU GOT?
>> HEY, EARLIER TODAY, I SPOKE
WITH THE PRESIDENT OF CUBS
BUSINESS OPERATIONS, CRANE
KENNEY ABOUT THE RETURN OF FANS
TO WRIGLEY.
AND I STARTED OUT BY ASKING HIM
ABOUT IN THIS AGE OF SOCIAL
DISTANCING WHAT ABOUT ONE OF THE
TRADITIONS AT QUIGLEY AND THAT
IS FOOD AND BEER VENDORS.
>> VENDORS WILL BE IN THE BALL
PARK.
THEY WILL BE LESS SHOUTING WE
DON'T WANT TO HAVE AS MUCH
EXPECT TORERATION OF BREATH.
BUT YOU WILL SEE ONE IS YOU WILL
HAVE THESE ZONE AND YOUR ZONE
WILL HAVE DESIGNATED VENDORS THE
VENDORS WILL HAVE CARD READERS
WHEN YOU BUY YOUR HOT DOG AND
BEER OR PRETZEL YOU WILL USE
YOUR CREDIT CARD TO SWIPE
THROUGH A READER
>> NOW, YOU SAID IT IS A GREAT
DAY.
OPENING DAY FIRST TIME THAT
YOU'VE HAD FOLKS BACK IN THE
PARK TO WATCH A GAME AND HOUSE
SUSTAINABLE IS 25% CAPACITY?
>> WELL, OBVIOUSLY THE BALL PARK
CAN EASILY HOLD 25,000 AND IT
CAN DO IT IN A SAFE WAY.
FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE IT
IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS IT
IS A BUSINESS THAT WILL LOSE
MONEY.
WE ARE EXCITED TO GET STARTED
AND THE PATH BACK TO 100% IS IN
FRONT OF US.
REALLY IMPORTANT MILESTONE TO
GET PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING ON
OPENING DAY.
AS WE SAW WITH THE BEARS, THEY
WERE UNFACILITY IN DOING THAT
AND THE BULLS AND THE BLACKHAWKS
UNSUCCESSFUL BECAUSE THE VIRUS
WAS NOT IN A PLACE WHERE IT
COULD HAPPEN.
WE ARE BREAKING THE SEAL ON THIS
AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR CITY
TO SEE YOU CAN BRING 10,000
PEOPLE TOGETHER SAFELY.
WHEN WE START THINKING ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM TO THE
ECONOMY IN GENERAL.
SO IT IS A BIG DAY FOR US AND A
BIG DAY FOR THE CITY AND OUR
FANS.
>> YET, OF COURSE IT COMES AS WE
ARE SEEING A POTENTIAL ANOTHER
SURGE AT THE LEAST A RISE IN
CASES.
HOW ARE YOU PREPARED FOR THAT?
DO YOU FEEL CONFIDENT IN FANS
GETTING HERE?
WHAT CAN YOU TELL FANS TO MAKE
THEM CONFIDENT?
AND WHAT WOULD IT MEAN IF THIS
HAS TO BE RESCINDED MID-SEASON
IT HAS TO TURN INTO NO MORE FANS
ALLOWED?
>> WE ARE FORTUNATE A YEAR
LATER, WE ARE A YEAR INTO THIS
WE HAVE SEEN A LOT MORE.
SO WE SAW THE NFL IN 18
DIFFERENT LOCATIONS HOST 1.2
MILLION FANS AND NOT A SINGLE
CASE OF CONTACT TRACING LED BACK
TO ONE OF THE NFL GAMES EVERY
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIAL IN ALL
THE MARKETS DID NOT IDENTIFY
COVID TRANSMISSION OCCURRING IN
ANY OF THOSE VENUES.
THE SAME THING TRUE WITH THE
WORLD SERIES IN TEXAS.
AGAIN, WE HOSTED 35% OF THE FANS
IN THAT STADIUM AND AGAIN,
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS WERE NOT
ABLE TO IDENTIFY ANY ISSUES AND
RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM FOR THE
SUPER BOWL.
33% OCCUPANCY.
WE'RE STARTING TO YOU HAD THAT
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ARE MUCH
SAFER THAN INDOOR ACTIVITIES AND
A STUDY SHOWS 19 TIMES SAFER.
YOU WILL HAVE 19 TIMES LESS
COVID TRANSMISSION OUTDOORS THAN
INDOORS.
FOR ALL THOSE REASONS WE THINK
AN OUTDOOR ACTIVITY IS SAFE.
AS LONG AS WE FOLLOW THE RIGHT
PROPERTY TOLLS AND --
PROTOCOLS.
AND IF THE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO
SPIKE THEN WE WILL HAVE TO
REVISIT WHETHER WE CAN HAVE THE
CAPACITY.
BUT FOR THE MOMENT WE'RE EXCITED
TO BE HERE.
WE'RE ENCOURAGING PEOPLE GET
VACCINATED.
WEAR YOUR MASK ANDS AND WHEN YOU
COME TO THE BALL GAME KEEP YOUR
MASK ON AND ENJOY GREAT
BASEBALL.
>> AND, AGAIN, THAT WAS CRANE
KENNEY, HE IS PRESIDENT OF
BUSINESS OPERATIONS FOR THE
CHICAGO CUBS.
PARIS, BEFORE I TOSS IT BACK, I
WANT TO SAY SORRY TO YOU AND THE
OTHER CUBS' FANS ABOUT THE LOSS